Fourdrinier wire and felt cleaner



Nov. 9, 1926. A 1,606,172

G. MORNS ET AL FOURDRINIER WIRE AND FELT CLEANER Filed. May 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 9,1926. 1,606,172

(5. MORNS ET AL FOURDRINIER WIRE AND FELT CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l.:1 EJT'] IIILFF 5 Gear 2 ZZZorzzs Ear Elwin Berry.

G. MORNS ET AL FOURDRINIER WIRE AND FELT CLEANER Nov. 9 1926.

Filed May 15, 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Geozye Hams E'azf lilwz zz Berry,

G. MORNS ET A].

FOURDRINIER WIRE AND FELT CLEANER Nov. 9 1926.

Filed May 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I x l Patented Nov. 9, 192d.

UNITED STATES P'rr GEORGE MORNS, JOLIET, ILLINOIS, AND EAIRL ELWIN BERRY, OF BELOIT, WIS CONSIN; SAID BERRY ASSIGNOR TO SAID MORNS.

V FOURDRINIER WIRE AN D FELT CLEANER.

Application filed May 13, 1926. Serial 1W0. 108,733.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning foraminous or porous band material and more particularly to a Fourdrinier wire and felt cleaning device for paper machines.

In the paper making art, trouble is always experienced at one time or another in keeping the paper machine'wire and felts clean and open, a condition so essential to the formation of a good sheet of paper. Ordinary spraying devices as commonly used serve merely to wash off the superficial dirt and fibres left on the wire or felt after the web of paper has been removed. Such devices do not, however, thoroughly cleanse the wire or felt to remove adhering slime, resinous material and those fibres that have become strongly enmeshed in the wire or felt. Consequently, it is frequently necessary to blow out the wire with steam or sour it with acid and to wash up the felts. Such operations necessitate shutting down the paper machine for longer or shorter periods or else they result in a considerable amount of haying out onthe machine In any event, the time, labor and loss of production entailed by the cleaning operation prove very expensive items to the paper manufacturer;

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a wire and felt cleaning device that may be operated continuously and automatically without shutting down the paper machine or otherwise lowering its production.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for cleaning wires, felts and similar porous band material that may be operated by hydraulic or fluid pressure to move continuously and automatically back and forth over the surface of the wire, felt or similar materiahwhereby concentrated jets of steam, water and special cleaning fluid may be directed against successive small areas of the wire, felt or other material to effectively clean the same and keep jthem in open. eflicient condition, thereby prolonging the life of the wire, felt or other material and increasing the productivity of the. machine. v

It is a further important object of this invention to provide a simple, automatically operated device ofrugged construction for economically and efiielently cleaning paper machine wires and felts.

On the drawings:

a Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of I a wire and felt cleaning device embodying the principles of our invention shown in connection with its use as a Fourdrinier wire cleaner.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevational View with parts broken and in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken top plan view of the nozzle carriage removed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged broken elevational view showing the nozzle carriage in position on the supporting member, with part broken away.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the'valve end of the device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fra mentar tional view taken on line'VI' I of B 5 with parts in elevation.

Figure .7 is a sectional view taken on line' YIIVII of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line VIIIVIII of Figure 6.

The reference numeralv 1 indicates a consecigure crete foundation and flooring such as found drinier part of the machine. At some point located above the lower run of the Fourdrinier wire 3 there is positioned a Wire cleaning device 4 of my invention. Said wire cleaning device 4 is preferably placed directly over a pit or save-all so that the cleanin fluids used in the operation of the wire c eaning device may be discharged through the wire 3v and down into the pit or save-all 105. The wire cleaning device '4 in-. cludes a tubular member 5 suitably mounted transversely of the length of the wire 3 from channel members 6 forming a part of the Fourdrinier supporting structure. Upon the tubular member 5 there is slidably mounted for 'reciprocative movernent, a nozzle carrier 7 from is supported at each end a fluid deli'i're -;',.nozzle 8. Said nozzle" carrier 7 is connectedby means of flexible conduits 9 runningioveripulleys 10 mounted of said conduit to keep the conduit taut as the nozzle carrier 7 moves back and forth.

As best shown in Figures 3 to 7, inclusive, said tubular member 5 is provided witha longitudinal slot 17 extending from one end of the tubular member to a point near the center thereof. The other halfof the tubular member is closed by means of an aper tured stationary head 18 thereby forming a cylinder 19 in that half of the tubular member. Within said cylinder 19 there is reciprocally mounted for sliding movement a piston 20 provided with a piston rod 21 secured thereto and extending through said apertured head 18 for a short distance therebeyond to form an extension 22. A short connecting bar 23 is rigidly secured to said extension 22 and extends up through'the slot 17, where it is connected to a boss 24 on the nozzle carriage 7. Said nozzle carriage 7 comprises arcuate-shaped end members 25 adapted to fit over the top of the tubular member 5 and to slide thereon on the bearing surfaces 25. Said ends 25 are provlded with rectangular slots 26 adapted to receive a rectangular-shaped lever bar 27. Said bar 27 extends substantially half the length of said tubular member 5 from the left hand end and is slidably mounted in a guiding boss 29 formed in a plate 30 bolted to the left hand. endof said tubular member 5. It will thus be apparent that as the piston 20'is reciprocated by means, later to be explained, in the cylinder 19, the nozzle carriage 7 connected through the rigid bar 23 will also be reciprocated and slide over the surface of the tube 5 upon which it bears and also over the surface of the bar 27, which serves to center the carriage in position.

Said carriage 7 as shown best in Figures 3 and 4, will now be described in greater detail. The end pieces 25 of said carriage are spaced apart by less than half of the width of the wire 3 by means of pipes 31 and .32, sald pipes being rigidly secured to said end pieces. The purpose of spacing the end pieces 25 a distance less than half the width of the wire 3 is in orderthat the nozzles 8 carried by said end pieces 25 may cover the entire width of the wire 3 in their movement. By this provision the paths of said nozzles 8 will in fact overlap near the center of the WIPE. Each of the pipes 31 and 32 serves for carrying a special fluid to the nozzles 33. For instance the pipe31 maybe used to conduct water and the pipe 32 to conduct steam. There is connected into the pipe 31' intermediate its ends a short piece of piping 34 provided at its free end with a coupling 35 to which may be coupled one of the flexible conduits 9 leading to a water main (not shown). Similarly a short pipe 36 leads into the pipe 32 and is provided at its outer end with a coupling 37 for connection to a steam conducting hose 9. Another pipe 38 having a coupling 39 at its outer end is adapted to be coupled with the flexible conduit 9 leading to the reservoir 14 which may hold a special cleaning fluid. This cleaning fluid may be of any desired nature such as an acid, kerosene or other i cleaning agent. The pipe 38 is connected into a pipe 39 which in turn is threaded at its ends into the pipe 32 at points adjacent the respective nozzles8. In this way the special cleaning fluid is admitted into the steam conducting pipe 32 and may thus be discharged against the wire under suitable pressure provided by the steam. Plug cocks 40 are provided in each of the various pipe lines 31, 32 and 39 at suitable places to controlthe flow of the fluids and to enable either of the nozzles 8 to be shut ofli' at will, independent of the other. Said nozzles 8 areeach formed of a pair of arcuate-shaped pipes 41 supported from the end pieces 25 and connected with the pipes 31 and 32 respectively. The lower ends of said pipes 41 are flattened together and turned down as'at 33 to form a convergent twin nozzle.

The mechanism for reciprocating the piston 20 comprises a hydraulically operated valve structure 43 secured to the left hand. end of the tubular member 5 by means of bolts 44 passing through the plate 30 on said tubular member and through lugs 45 formed on the end of said valve structure. Said valve structure 43, which is of irregular form, is provided with an inlet passage 46 (Figures 5, 6 and 8) to which is connected a conduit 47 adapted to conduct water or other fluid under pressure into said valve structure. Said inlet passage 46 leads into a cylinder 48 located near the bottom of said valve structure and axial therewith. Said cylinder 48 is provided with a sleeve 49 fitted into the valve structure casting. A

plunger 50 comprising plunger rod 51 hav-' use bearing bracket 58 formed on the valve structure 43. The free end of the bar 57 extends into a boss 60 provided with a bore 59 for the purpose, said boss 60 being integral with the plate 30. An angle piece 61 secured over the end of the bar 27 is provided' With an aperture, adapted to receive said bar 57. There is mounted on the bar 57 on each side of said angle piece 61 a helical spring 62, held in position by means of collars bar 57.

It will thus be apparent that as the bar 27 is moved in either direction it will cause one'of the springs 62 to be compressed thereby exerting a pressure against the corresponding collar 63 to cause a movementol the bar 57 This movement is transmitted ing with said 'er. arm to the plunger 50.

- of the valve structure.

to the rocker arm 53 and through said rock- This operation will be described in more detail hereinafter.

In the body of said valve structure 43 there is formed a cylinder 64 having a wall formed by a sleeve 65 secured in the valve structure. Said sleeve 65 is provided with passages 66 and 67 registering with passages 68 and 69 respectively formed in the valve casting, said passages 68and 69 registering in turn with apertures 70 and 71 respectively, in the sleeve 49. Passages are thus provided leading from the cylinder 48 to the cylinder 64 for the purpose of introducing fluid into the cylinder 64 to operate a floating valve 72 slidably mounted in said cylinder 64. The same passages also serve as exit passages for the fluid to flow from the cylinder 64 to the cylinder 48 and thence through apertures 95 and 96 in the bottom Said valve 72 comprises a cylinder 73 mounted on a short shaft 7 4 and provided with annular grooves 7 5, 76 and 77 spaced apart by flanges 78 and 7 9. Said groove in the position of the valve 72 as shown (Figure 6) is adapted to register with an intake port 80 communicatroove 75 by a passage 81 through the cylinder sleeve 65. Said intake groove 80 is in turn in open communication with the intake passage 46 (Figure 5). v.It will thus be seen that with the valve 72 in the position shown, an operating fluid. such as water under pressure will be admitted through the intake passage 46. into the groove 80 and thence into the groove 75 formed in said valve 72. There the operating fluid will be trapped until the valve 72 moves to uncover an adjacent port 82. lvleanwhile the operating fluid enters through a branch passage 83 openinginto the intake 46 and through passages 84 formed in the cylinder wall 65 into the groove 77. Groove 77 it will be noticed is also in communication with passages 85 formed in the cylinder wall 65 and opening into passagesv 86 which are in open com- 63 adjustably secured to said,

munication with a pipe 87 leading to the left hand end of the cylinder 19. The operating fluid therefore passes through the'passages 83 and 84 into the groove 77 and thence out through the passages 85 and 86 into the pipe 87 and thence into the cylinder 19 where the force of the fluid is exerted against the piston head 20 to move it toward the right. As shown in the drawings, said piston head 20 is at its extreme left hand position and about to be forced by said operating fluid on a new stroke toward the right. As said piston head 20 moves toward the right the fluid that is between the piston head and the fixed head 18 is forced out through a pipe 88 entering the right hand end of said cylinder 19 and connected at its other end to an annular passage 90. Said passage 90 is (in position of the valve 72 shown) in communication, through the passages. 82 and the groove 76, with a drain passage 91 leading out through the bottom of said valve casting as at 92. Therefore, the fluid on the right of the piston 20 is indirect communication with the drain 91 preparatory to being forced out through said drain 91 by movement of the piston 20 to the right.

It is obvious that as the piston 20 moves toward "the right, the nozzle carriage 7 is carried along with it. The length of the stroke'of'the piston 20 is determined by the striking of the left handend 25 of the nozzle carriage '7 against a pin 93 secured in the bar 27, whereupon the bar 27 is movedto the right sufliciently to exert a pressure through the spring 62 against the right hand collar 63, which in turn moves together with the bar 57 and rocker arm 53. Movement of the rocker arm 58 changes the position of the plunger 50 to reverse the flow of fluids through the various ports and passages. The operating fluid now reverses the movement of the piston 20 and nozzle carriage 7, as will be apparent from the drawings without further explanation. At the extreme end of the reverse movement of the nozzle carriage7, the right hand end 25 of said carriage comes up against the pin 93 and further movement causes the rocker arm 53 to swing back again to repeat the cycle. Automatic means is thus provided for continuously reciprocating the nozzle carriage 7 over the Wire 3.

The obvious advantages of our improved felt and wire cleaner are that its action is continuous and automatic; that there are no gears,.chains, or other outside moving parts; that the cleansing fluids are directed against Successive small areasthe entire width of the wire and that special chemical cleansing fluids may be used under pressure.

l/Ve are aware. that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore 510 not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

\Ve claim as our invention 1. A wire cleaning device, comprising a transverse supporting member, a nozzle .carrier slidably mounted thereon and automatically hydraulically operated means for reciprocating said carrier over said supporting member. I

2. A wire cleaning device, comprising a transverse supporting member, a nozzle carrier reciprocally mounted thereon, fluidmeans for actuating said carrier, and a valve operated by movement of said carrier to reverse the direction of movement of said carrier. I

3. A Fourdrinier wire cleaner, comprising a hollow supporting member, a piston and piston rod mounted for reciprocative movement therein, a nozzle carriage slidably mounted with respect to said member and connection to said piston rod, fluid means for actuating said piston and attached carriage, a valve connected with said fluid means, and means operated by the movement of the carriage to automatically operatethe valve to reverse the movement of the carriage.

4:. device for cleaning moving forami nous or porous band material, comprising a supporting member mounted transversely of said material, a carriage adapted to move over said member, and carrying spaced fluid delivery nozzles, and means for hydraulically operating said carriage, including means to cause the carriage to reciprocate automatically.

5. A device for cleaning moving foraminous or porousband material, comprising a supporting member mounted transversely of said material, a carriage adapted to move over said member, nozzles carried by said carriage and spaced apart by less than half the Width of the material, and "means for hydraulically operating said carriage, in

nozzle carrier mounted on said member, means rigidly connecting said piston and said carriage, fluid means for actuating said piston and means for reversing said actuating force to eflect reciprocative movement of said piston and connected carriage.

8. A Fourdrinier wire cleaning device, comprising a tubular supporting member having a closed cylinder formed therein,a

piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, a

nozzle carrier mounted on said member, means rigidly connecting said piston and said carriage, fluid means for admitting a fluid under pressure to said cylinder on each side of said piston, and means for alternately cutting off the supply-of fluid to the opposite sides of the piston-to effect reciprocative movement of said piston and connected carriage.

9. A Fourdrinier wire cleaning device, comprising a tubular supportingmember having a longitudinal slot extending substantially half the length of said member from one end thereof, a closed cylinder being formed in the other half thereof, a nozzle carriage slidably mounted on said member, a rod-connected piston within said cylinder, said rod extending through the inner end of said cylinder and connected through said slot to said carriage, fluid means for moving said piston, a lever-operated valve controlling said fluid, a lever bar resiliently associated with said lever, and means on said bar adapted to be contacted by said carriage in its movement, whereby said bar may be caused to operate resilientlywagainst said lever and in turn operate said valve to reverse the movement of said carriage.

10. A Fourdrinier wire cleaning device, comprising a tubular supporting member having a longitudinal slot extending'substantially half the length of said member from one end thereof, a closed cylinder being formed in the other half thereof, a nozzle carriage slidably mounted on said member, a rod-connected piston Within said cylinder, said rod extending through the inner end of said cylinder and connected through said slot to said carriage, fluid means for moving said piston, a lever-operated valve controlling said fluid, and means associated with said lever and adapted to be actuated by said carr age in its movement,;

GEORGE MORNS. EARL ELWIN BERRY.

Ill 

